Employment Law Changes Coming April 2026: What Employers Need to Know

The Employment Rights Act 2025 — what a whirlwind.

There’s been a lot of noise, speculation and uncertainty around these changes, and we’re already seeing employers feeling unsure about what it all means in practice. Our aim with this blog is to cut through that and give you a clear, practical overview of what’s changing and what you actually need to know.

After months of discussion and industry updates, a number of changes are due to come into effect from April 2026. Alongside these, there are also regular updates to employment law that happen year on year — and it’s easy for some of these to slip under the radar.

We've also already seen some key changes come in with immediate effect in relation to Trade Union legislation and strike thresholds which are complex and very specific to those orgnaisations that recognise Unions or operate under collective agreements.

Taking the time to regularly review your policies, contracts and processes is the best way to make sure everything stays aligned with current legislation.

What Changes are coming in April 2026?

From April 2026 several employment law updates will come into effect. This doesn’t mean employers need to overhaul every single process and practice – one of the reasons for this legislation being phase over the next couple of years is to allow employers to adjust gradually and sensibly without causing mass disruption.

• Day-One Rights for Paternity and Parental Leave

Employees will have the right to access paternity leave and unpaid parental leave from day one of employment – removing previous qualifying service requirements.

For employers, this means policies will need updating to reflect day-one eligibility and managers should be prepared to handle requests earlier in employment.

• Bereaved Partners Paternity Leave

A new entitlement will be introduced providing statutory leave for employees whose partner dies during pregnancy or within the first year after birth (or placement in cases of adoption), ensuring they have time to support their child and manage the immediate impact of bereavement.

Family leave policies should reflect this new entitlement, and managers should be trained to handle situations with sensitivity. Clear internal processes should be in place for these situations.

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Changes

Changes to SSP are expected to make the system more accessible to employees. Key changes include removal of the waiting period – meaning SSP will be payable from day one of absence (rather than day four) as well as the removal of the lower earnings limit – allowing more low-paid workers to qualify. Although there will be threshold requirements meaning if an employee is paid lower than the current rate of SSP on average each week, they will instead receive 80% of their earnings, rather than the full amount.

For employees, SSP will be payable earlier in sickness absences so short-term absence costs may increase. More employees than before will qualify for SSP, particularly those in lower-paid or part-time roles.

• Stronger Whistleblower Protections

Updates to whistleblowing legislation will strengthen protections for employees raising concerns, especially in respect of sexual harassment. Employers should review whistleblowing policies and ensure reporting channels are clear and accessible, as well as promoting a culture where concerns can be raised safely.

• Increased Redundancy Consultation Penalties

Penalties for failing to follow correct collective redundancy consultation procedures are expected to increase. This means a greater financial risk for non-compliance, increased importance of following correct consultation processes and a need for clear documentation and timelines. Current penalty is 90 days pay for EVERY impacted employee and this will double to 180 days pay from April – a massive financial hit if employers get it wrong.

Expert Insight from Holla HR

These changes all follow the Labour Manifesto which was all about fairer worker rights and increased protection.

The businesses that will manage these changes best will be the ones that take a proactive, practical approach – reviewing policies and supporting managers. Getting it right now will make these changes feel natural rather than something reactive or disruptive.

What is Next for Employers?

The upcoming changes shouldn’t cause panic; however, they do highlight the importance of making sure your policies, processes and documentation are up to date. A proactive review now can help you stay compliant and avoid issues further down the line.

Below are some practical steps you may want to consider:

Review Key Policies

Take some time to sense-check your current policies. In particular:

-       Family Leave Policies

-       Sickness Absence Policies

-       Whistleblowing procedures and how those are signposted

-       Redundancy processes and practices

Update Contracts & Handbooks

Remove any outdated qualifying service requirements and include new entitlements, such as bereaved partners paternity leave – ensuring they are aligned with your updated policies.

Support & Train Managers

Managers are often the ones applying these policies in real situations. Making sure your policies and documents are updated is only half the battle – making sure your managers are aware of changes and are confident in following the correct processes effectively and having the right conversations consistently is just as important.

Review Internal Processes

Ensure your processes are clear and easy to follow, consistent across the business and well documented. This reduces the risk of confusion and helps protect both the business and employees.

Further Advice from Holla HR

For SMEs especially, this legilsation will have a tougher financial impact if they don't take a proactive view to managing issues early and aim to prevent issues ever becoming unmanagable - it's not the law that's the problem, it's how the issues are actually handled in practice.

Updating your documents is only part of the picture. Making sure managers understand those policies, feel confident applying them, and follow processes consistently is just as important.

From our experience at Holla HR, we’d recommend:

-       Keeping policies clear, practical and easy to follow (not overly complex)

-       Taking time to walk managers through key updates, not just sending a document

-       Creating simple internal guidance or checklists to support decision-making

-       Encouraging managers to ask questions early, rather than reacting later

Taking a bit of time to get this right now can make a big difference when these situations arise in real life.

Looking Ahead: What’s Coming in 2027?

While the changes coming into effect in April 2026 are important, they form part of a broader programme of employment law reform under the Employment Rights Act 2025, with further updates expected later this year, into 2027 and beyond.

Some of the key changes currently expected include:

-       Unfair dismissal becoming an earlier right — with protection applying from around 6 months of service rather than 2 years

-       Restrictions on “fire and rehire” practices, making it automatically unfair in most circumstances

-       New rights for zero-hours and low-hours workers, including: The right to guaranteed hours, Reasonable notice of shifts, Compensation for cancelled or changed shifts.

-       Stronger protections for pregnant employees and those returning from maternity leave

-       More onus on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment of their employees

-       Greater expectations around flexible working, including clearer justification where requests are refused

It’s worth noting that many of these proposals are still subject to consultation and further guidance, so the detail may continue to evolve. We will of course keep you updated and continue to work with our clients to ensure they are up to date with current employment laws.

Final Thoughts

Employment law is always changing, and realistically, it’s not about trying to keep on top of every aspect all at once — it’s about making sure the basics are right regularly.

If your policies are clear, your managers feel confident, and your processes actually work in practice, these kinds of changes become much easier to manage.

From our side at Holla HR, we see time and time again that the businesses who stay on top of things aren’t doing anything overly complicated — they’re just taking the time to review what they have, ask questions when they’re unsure, and keep things consistent.

If this blog has highlighted anything you’re not quite sure about, or you’d just like a second pair of eyes on your policies, we’re always happy to help.